Simplifying workplace mental health support

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Facing a dramatic increase in claims related to stress, depression, and anxiety, GreenShield is easing the growing burden on HR professionals to maintain the mental health of their workforce

WITH NEARLY half a million Canadians missing work each week due to mental health issues, HR leaders have a steep hill to climb when it comes to supporting the well-being of their workforces. Over the past few years, amid the pressures of a pandemic, an economy in flux, and changing work arrangements, employee mental health has taken a nose-dive. According to a recent report from GreenShield, Canada’s only national non-profit health and benefits company, there has been a 132 percent increase in mental health claims since 2019 – increasing the pressure on HR leaders to improve employee mental well-being and reduce overall health costs.

GreenShield is an integrated health and benefits organization and the first organization in Canada to operate as a payer-provider – offering insurance, administering benefits, and paying claims as a “payer” while offering health services such as mental health, pharmacy, telemedicine, and chronic disease management services as a “provider.” Integrating both sides of the payer-provider equation enables GreenShield to simplify access to care, remove administrative barriers, and improve health outcomes for its customers. GreenShield is uniquely structured as a non-profit social enterprise that reinvests its earnings and redeploys its services to support equity-seeking Canadian communities via its social impact brand, GreenShield Cares. As the industry’s noble challenger, GreenShield continues to innovate, evolving its offerings and services to deepen its mission of Better Health for All.

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Employee mental health struggles

132% increase in mental health claims in Canada

“We need tools that make it easy for HR leaders to do their jobs, sustain their mental health, and support the well-being of their unique workforce”

Joe Blomeley, GreenShield

“The workplace landscape has been fundamentally transformed by events like the pandemic, the Great Resignation, hybrid work models, and the ongoing financial crises,” says Joe Blomeley, executive vice president and head of GreenShield Health. “These changes have not only increased stress and anxiety among employees, but also placed an immense burden on HR professionals.” Recent statistics highlight a growing concern from HR leaders about the mental health of their organizations and the quality of their workplace mental health support. A global workplace health report from 2022 revealed that 72 percent of HR professionals identify mental health as the greatest external challenge in their workplace, while only 38 percent are convinced their efforts to support employees are effective. Even more alarming, nearly 50 percent of HR professionals are currently experiencing burnout, with many contemplating leaving their roles altogether. “We know that positive employee mental health is critical to business success. Without the right support, many HR leaders who have been at the frontlines of this employee mental health crisis are feeling a personal toll,” says Blomeley. “We need tools that make it easy for HR leaders to do their jobs, sustain their mental health, and support the well-being of their unique workforce.” Central to this HR leader challenge is a lack of mental health solutions designed to meet the needs of the modern workforce. While most HR leaders rely on traditional Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to support the health of their employees, these solutions are often difficult to access, with a short-term, one-size-fits-all approach to care.

“With long wait times and a stop-gap approach to care, the average utilization of traditional EAPs hovers around just 11 percent,” says Harriet Ekperigin, vice president of mental health at GreenShield. “To increase employee engagement and improve health outcomes longer term, employers need to offer a more accessible and convenient health solution designed to meet the needs of their diverse workforce.” Recognizing the need for a revised approach, GreenShield is reimagining the future of workplace health support through its own comprehensive mental health offering.

With a holistic and inclusive lens, GreenShield's modern EAP program offers access to personalized mental heath counselling, holistic health coaching, and well-being support available anytime, anywhere. “Today, there are four generations in the workforce, all from different backgrounds with different care preferences and needs,” says Ekperigin. “With GreenShield’s comprehensive offering, we’re able to meet these individuals' needs quickly and effectively, all in one seamless platform.”

One of the key ways that GreenShield is meeting the unique needs of today’s workers is by providing customized and culturally appropriate mental health counselling. Through its personalized therapist-matching tool, GreenShield allows individuals to easily connect with a certified mental health professional who aligns with their culture, race, language, religion, and more. By filling out a quick survey, employees can easily find a therapist who meets their needs and preferences and book a free consultation. “We know from our research that better health outcomes occur when there is alignment between the therapist and the user,” says Ekperigin. “That’s why when we were developing our mental health solution, it was critical that personalized therapist-matching be embedded in its design.” By making it easier for employees to find the right therapist faster, the solution is already yielding impressive results. Not only does the counselling solution from GreenShield reduce the average wait time to see a mental health professional by 87 percent compared to public wait times; clients experience over 30 percent improvement in symptoms after just three sessions. “Efficacy should be the top consideration HR leaders look for in their mental health solution,” says Ekperigin. “With its inclusive approach, GreenShield’s solutions ensure employers can effectively support the mental health of everyone.”

“Today, there are four generations in the workforce, all from different backgrounds with different care preferences and needs. With Greenshield's comprehensive offering, we're able to meet these individuals' needs quickly and effectively, all in one seamless platform”

Harriet Ekperigin, GreenShield

Having an effective counselling solution is essential, but HR leaders know that it takes more than just personalized mental health support to live and stay well. While traditional employer health solutions often take a Band-Aid approach to solving health issues, intervening only when symptoms become acute, GreenShield has a more holistic focus. “Once an employee has reached an acute health state, they are at risk of going on disability and suffering longer-term health setbacks,” says Blomeley. “In order to reduce absenteeism and maintain a more engaged workforce, it’s important for your health solution to focus on the bigger picture of maintaining everyday health.”

Through its Total Health and Life Services, GreenShield offers employees access to registered nurses, dietitians, career coaches, and more to help navigate all aspects of life and achieve their personal goals. This includes support across milestones like work and career, pregnancy, health and nutrition, chronic disease management, legal and financial challenges, and retirement. GreenShield has also deepened its Chronic Disease Management and Preventive Health offerings, recognizing the interconnection between physical and mental health and the long-term health costs of chronic disease. “It’s impossible to separate physical and mental health outcomes from each other. Both depression and diabetes, for instance, are chronic health conditions that can have enormous impacts on productivity and have put growing health costs on employers,” says Blomeley. “Our goal is to ensure Canadians can show up as their best selves by addressing their total health and prioritizing preventive holistic care.”

Personalized mental health support, anytime, anywhere

A holistic, preventive approach

Published October 1, 2024

Stress, depression, and anxiety among the top-rated concerns

Source: GreenShield Health Outcomes Report, 2024

HR’s mental health challenge

72% of HR professionals identify mental health as the greatest external challenge in their workplace

Only 38% are convinced their efforts to support employees are effective

While HR professionals often play a central role in enabling good employee mental health, they also need tools to help simplify their support. That’s why GreenShield offers ongoing webinars and training sessions aimed at helping HR leaders build healthier workplaces without needing to be health professionals themselves. Among these offerings are webinars exploring how to build psychological safety in the workplace, how to foster inclusive environments, and strategies for reducing stress. Most recently, GreenShield launched a monthly webinar series entitled Let’s Be Real with Michael Landsberg. The series features honest and unfiltered conversations related to mental health with host Landsberg, his guests, and healthcare professionals – all aimed at breaking mental health stigma in the workplace. “HR professionals are managing the weight of an employee workforce that has been struggling and become increasingly fraught with mental health issues,” says Blomeley. “They are the pulse of organizations and must not be an afterthought. With extensive integrated support from GreenShield, HR leaders can feel confident that they are equipped to navigate the challenges of today’s workplace while maintaining their own health and resilience.”

Better support for HR professionals

“HR professionals are often managing – and disseminating – multiple platforms and programs to their workforces,” says Blomeley. “By spending less time managing health and benefits tools, we can help HR leaders spend more time supporting their people and themselves.”

The most significant way GreenShield is alleviating the burden on HR professionals is by reducing barriers to both coverage and care through its seamlessly integrated health and benefits solution. As the first organization in Canada to operate as a payer-provider, GreenShield combines its services into one integrated platform, GreenShield+, allowing employees to check their coverage, access their benefits, connect with healthcare providers, and get reimbursed for claims – all in one place. This streamlined experience not only simplifies the process for employees – resulting in higher engagement – but also reduces the administrative burden on HR professionals, allowing them to focus their efforts in other areas.

Seamless coverage and care

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